What lies in store for policing in Bristol? New Police
and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens to set the
budgets and priorities for policing and community
safety for the next three and a half years.

January / February
/ March 2013

Supporting each
other to deliver
best value for
money
DPS Payroll Services will deliver your charitable payroll to the highest
standard, in a timely manner, supported by our qualified payroll team who
can draw on a wealth of payroll knowledge and experience.
The Charitable Double Bubble – Reusing funds in the Charity Sector:

We invite you to discuss your requirements with us by emailing:
enquiries@dpspayroll.co.uk. Introductory benefits may apply.
Join our growing number of charitable clients and reuse charitable funding
within its own Sector. CRB Checking available.

www.dpspayroll.co.uk www.wecil.co.uk
2 www.voscur.org

charity number 1053515

January / February / March 2013 Issue 19

Contents
Voscur

Compact

3 Contents

16-17 The new Bristol Compact – your
organisation and commissioning

4 Editorial
5

New members

6

Prove your value to funders

Voice and Influence
18-19 Social value – the voluntary sector’s
unique selling point

Support Hub
7

A ‘Kick Start’ for Dua Women’s group

8

Information on Business on Board
and Safeguarding

9

Why it is all change for PAYE

10

What structure should you choose for
your organisation? – Advice from Avon
and Bristol Law Centre

More tough times ahead for health and
social care – time to raise the profile of
the sector

25

Measuring outcomes for young people

26-27 Making Bristol a restorative city

Cover image:
Ping! Bristol saw 50 public ping pong tables
installed across Bristol landmarks, parks and
public spaces for all to play. Locations spanned
Bristol Zoo to the Cathedral, HMS Belfast to
Clifton Shopping Centre. Ping! aimed to remind
people of the fun of ping pong. Bats were
available from the side of the tables. Funded
by Sport England, Ping was produced by arts
organisation Sing London and Bristol City Council.

28

Community Infrastructure Levy:
new funding source to support new
neighbourhood facilities

29

Work ahead for the new Police and
Crime Commissioner

30-31 Bristol’s new Mayor wants to
“champion the voluntary sector”

Keep up to date with Voscur online:

www.facebook.com/voscur

twitter.com/voscur

www.flickr.com/voscur

www.youtube.com/voscur

Thrive! is also available online as a pdf at www.voscur.org/magazine.
If you require it in another format, please get in touch on 0117 909 9949.
Disclaimer: some of the views expressed in this publication are those of individual contributors and do not necessarily
represent those of Voscur. Publications, events and services mentioned in Thrive! are not necessarily endorsed by Voscur.

Issue 19 January / February / March 2013

www.voscur.org

3

Dear members and friends
autumn and, in partnership with

that he has signed the pledges*

member organisations and others,

that will help him to put his

organised a series of mayoral

commitment into practice.

‘Question Time’ events that
attracted more than 1,000 people.
We also crossed boundaries to
partner with colleagues in the
West of England and Somerset
to organise similar events for the
Police and Crime Commissioner
election.

Wendy Stephenson
Chief Executive

In May last year, we found out that
Bristol would be electing a Mayor
in November. Voscur wanted to
make sure that the candidates
had the opportunity to have some
dialogue with Bristol’s voluntary

makes to the city and discuss with
them some of the issues that we
are facing.
Voscur’s Voice and Influence
service pulled out all the stops this

4 www.voscur.org

autumn and should be seen as
the document that defines the
way that we work across sectors.

these events so successful, and to

this magazine. Others can view it

the candidates for participating.

online at: www.bristolcompact.

We now know that Bristol’s

org.uk/bristolcompact. See

elected Mayor is George Ferguson

pages 16 and 17 to find out how

and the Avon and Somerset Police

the Bristol Compact can be used

and Crime Commissioner is Sue

to make sure that the voluntary

Mountstevens. Congratulations

and community sector is properly

to you both – we look forward to

involved in shaping and delivering

working with you.

services.

At Voscur’s AGM, speaking in

Wendy Stephenson

response to the question, ‘How

Chief Executive

do you see the voluntary and
community sector contributing
to your vision for Bristol?’, George
Ferguson said:

Mayor so that I can be your voice

about the contribution the sector

Bristol Compact was revised this

Bristol Compact for members with

good understanding of our work.

able to tell the mayoral candidates

significance of the Compact. The

Thanks to everyone who made

“I want to be your independent

September, Voscur members were

important that we remember the

We have enclosed a copy of the

and community sector and get a

At our Annual General Meeting in

In addition to these pledges, it’s

* To view the voluntary sector
pledges, visit: goo.gl/TRPCu. More
information on the new Mayor and
PCC is on pages 30-31.

Key to symbols

for the voluntary sector. I want
to champion the voluntary sector

Equalities Article

and I want to ensure that we work
together to make Bristol a fairer,
more caring city, a more inclusive
city and one that we can all feel
proud of being part of.”
It’s great that this is the Mayor’s
position and we are very pleased

Voscur would also like to welcome its two new Trustees
who joined the Voscur Board in September 2012.
Poku Osei, Babbasa Youth
Empowerment Projects (BYEP)
”As a coordinator at BYEP, I oversee
all the wonderful work it does and
support and empower young people
in enterprise and employability skills. Over the years
this has given me a fair insight into the challenges
and barriers facing disadvantaged young people
and families living around the inner city parts of
Bristol. I hope to become one of the vessels on the
Voscur board for communicating these challenges
and needs, to help shape decisions and support for
these disadvantaged groups.”

Issue 19 January / February / March 2013

Mike Zeidler, Happy City Initiative
“Over the years I’ve been an advisor,
partner and member of Voscur and
I believe it to be an outstanding
organisation that has adapted well with
the times. I know my detailed knowledge of public/
private/voluntary sectors, partnership working and
social enterprise in the West of England area will be
a relevant and useful complement to the existing
board. I am very happy to have been given the
opportunity to offer Voscur my personal passion
and professional experience to help develop our
vitally important and under-appreciated sector.”

www.voscur.org

5

Voscur

Prove your value to funders
“I want to fund organisations that

applying for funding in the future

really show me the difference they

you can then show how for every

make – socially and economically.”

£1 your organisation receives, it

If a funder or commissioner said
this to you, would you be able to
convince them to invest in your
organisation?

creates, say, £4 worth of social
value for the local community
– through improving people’s
health, reducing antisocial
behaviour or helping people find

Competition for public contracts

jobs. By measuring the impact of

is increasing. Previously, cost has

our support on your organisation,

often been the deciding factor

Voscur can then make a similar

in awarding them, favouring

argument too.

large charities and commercial
companies. The Public Works
(Social Value) Act 2012 should help

Photo by Tsahi Levent-Levi

How would I benefit from
being involved in Proving

voluntary and community sector

Our Value?

(VCS) organisations to offset this

Your organisation would

cost advantage by ensuring public

benefit from:

bodies also consider the additional
social value they create (read
more on this on page 18).
Quantifying social value is not
easy, however...
Proving Our Value, a partnership
between VCS organisations and
universities, is developing tools to
measure and communicate the
social value of our work.
Why is it important to
me and to Voscur?
Your organisation provides,

completed and evidence
supporting the tools used.
• A toolkit for any organisation

• Improved understanding of
measuring and communicating

to measure the social impact
and value of its work.
• Better services for clients

social value.
• New insight into your work

(because organisations will

and how to make your services

know how they make the

even better.

most difference).

• Helping public bodies
understand the social value
your organisation creates,
which will help when bidding
for future funding.

A second survey is nearing
completion and the final one
will start in May 2013. The
combined results will help refine
the tools being developed

Some organisations will also get a

and evidence a range of social

more in-depth economic analysis

impacts. It’s not too late to get

of their work.

involved – see goo.gl/87JJy for

for example, support for older

more information.

people, skills training for people

What’s happened so far and

with disabilities, or mentoring

what will be the final result?

for young people at risk of

The project’s first survey showed

offending – all these activities

Bristol’s VCS performing well but

produce a benefit for individuals

also a clear need for ongoing

and communities. If we help

support and development.

you quantify this impact, when

Further work will lead to:

6 www.voscur.org

• A report detailing research

January / February / March 2013 Issue 19

Support Hub

A ‘Kick Start’ for Dua Women’s group
Dua Women’s group was
established to support women
of Indian and Pakistani heritage
and boost their confidence
levels. Iman Asghar, founder of
the organisation, talks about the
development of Dua Women’s
group and the benefits of
attending Voscur’s Kick Start
training. Iman started the group
to enable women to talk, share
their problems and help one
another to find solutions for
managing issues related to their
everyday lives.
The group offers support sessions
for women and attendance is
growing. The service is free and is
funded by family and friends who
are committed to its success. Its
management committee provides
a vehicle to empower women into
governance roles and to increase
their skills in this area.
Two members of Dua recently
attended our free six-session Kick
Start training course for emerging
and re-emerging groups. The
course provides a supportive
space for groups to learn about all
of the stages involved in managing
an organisation.
“I found the training extremely
helpful,” Iman says. “Kick Start
gave me the understanding about
how to improve our group and
the confidence to do it. I am now
able to share this learning with
other women and friends so I
can educate them about how to
manage an organisation. Before

Iman (left) and attendees at the Kick Start Session

attending Kick Start we did not
understand issues such as policies
and procedures, or the complex
details about constitutions. Now
we are developing a constitution
of our own and putting this into
practice.”

On 31 March, Dua will
be running a family
fun day at Easton Community
Centre, 12-6pm, focusing on
women and children but open
to all parents.

Iman feels that what she and
her colleague found most useful
about Kick Start was the range
of information they received and
how the trainers made complex
issues easy to grasp.

“We felt good about asking any
question we wanted without
being made to feel stupid, and
the rest of the group we trained
with were all very supportive
of each other. I’m now looking
forward to further support from
Voscur including attending a
couple more Support Hub training
courses this term.”

The fourth Kick Start training
programme starts in January
2013. For more information
about enrolling on this please
contact us on:

Business on Board
Are you looking for Trustees with commercial experience?
Business on Board is an exciting
initiative which aims to match
skilled professionals from the
private sector with voluntary
and community sector (VCS)
organisations who are looking
for trustees. The brokerage has
been set up in partnership with
the regional offices of Business
in the Community, the Institute
of Directors, the Chamber of
Commerce, the Confederation
of British Industry and Voscur for
the benefit of Bristol’s vibrant
voluntary and community sector.
Business on Board is a free

service to VCS organisations and
is currently recruiting business
volunteers with the following skills:
• Tender procedures and
processes;
• HR to include Transfer of
Undertakings (Protection
of Employment) (TUPE)/
redundancies/benefit system;
• Legal assistance;
• Financial;
• Governance;
• Risk management;
• Property knowledge;
• New technology and
social media;

• Income generation.
Each business volunteer has
individual skills, interests and
motivations. These will be assessed
on a 1:1 basis to help identify VCS
organisations that would benefit
from these skills.

If your organisation
is looking for trustees,
please contact
Lisa Bryant for further
information at
info@businessonboardsw.co.uk.

Safeguarding children and adults:
the new Disclosure and Barring Service
From 10 September 2012, a

represent a change to the

number of legislative changes

services you receive.

took place in relation to the CRB
(Criminal Record Bureau) checking
service, including a new definition
of regulated activity for children
and adults, statutory guidance on
the supervision of children, repeal

Another change in early 2013
is a new Update Service. More
information is available on the
new DBS website:
www.homeoffice.gov.uk/dbs.

of controlled activity and various
other changes.
From 1 December 2012, the
work of the CRB and of the
Independent Safeguarding
Authority (ISA) merged into a new
single, non-departmental public
body called the Disclosure
and Barring Service (DBS).
The work of the DBS will not

8 www.voscur.org

For help and up-to-date
information around
safeguarding, attend
our Writing a Safeguarding
Policy workshop on 26 March
2013. More information at:
www.supporthub.org.uk/
training-hub.

Old Terms

New Terms for DBS

CRB, ISA.

DBS.

Standard CRB check.

Standard DBS check.

Enhanced CRB check.

Enhanced DBS check.

Enhanced CRB check with
barred list check.

Enhanced check for
regulated activity.

ISA Adult First.

DBS Adult First.

Vulnerable adults.

Vulnerable groups,
including children.

January / February / March 2013 Issue 19

Support Hub

Why it is all change for PAYE
How employers report Pay As You Earn (PAYE) details to HM Revenue & Customs is
changing. HMRC’s Jane Brothwood explains to employers in Bristol what they need to
do to prepare.
What is Real Time Information?

How will RTI benefit employers

From April 2013 there will be a

and pension providers?

new way to report PAYE in real

By getting rid of employer annual

time, Real Time Information

returns and streamlining the

(RTI). Under the present PAYE

starter and leaver processes, RTI

system, employers tell HMRC what

will remove admin burdens from

deductions they have made from

organisations of around £300m

employees’ pay at the end of

each year.

the year. Reporting PAYE in real
time will ensure that employees’

What is the timetable for

tax records are accurate, so they

introducing RTI?

won’t face big PAYE overpayments

RTI is being introduced

or underpayments at the end of

progressively to give plenty of

every tax year. It will also provide

time for testing the new systems.

accurate records on wages and

We began piloting RTI in April

tax for the forthcoming Universal

2012, with around 310 volunteer

Credit, so eligible employees will

employers. The pilot is going well

get the right amount of benefits

and is on track. Most employers

in the right format. Employers

or tax credits every month.

will begin reporting PAYE in real

should also make sure that they

time in April 2013, with all doing

add staff to their payrolls who

so by October 2013.

will now need to be included with

What is changing?
PAYE itself will not change –

Jane Brothwood,
head of RTI Communications at HMRC

their RTI submissions, for example,

just the way, and how often,

Next steps

those under the Lower Earnings

employers send PAYE details to

Organisations of all sizes should

Limit (LEL).

HMRC. Instead of sending all PAYE

start preparing for RTI now by

details to HMRC in one go at the

talking to their payroll software

end of the year, from April 2013

provider or payroll service provider

employers will have to:

about how they are developing

• Send details every time a
payment is made.
• Use payroll software to send
the details electronically.
• Send the details as part of
your normal payroll process.

appropriate payroll software. It’s
also vital that employers check
that information about their
employees is accurate and up to
date. This involves making sure
that surname, forename, gender,
address, date of birth and National
Insurance number are correct and

Issue 19 January / February / March 2013

To learn more about RTI,
attend our upcoming
training session:
PAYE Changes: Making Sense
of Real Time Information
5 February 2013, 10am-12pm
For further information
about RTI go to:
www.hmrc.gov.uk/rti

www.voscur.org

9

Support Hub

What structure should you
choose for your organisation?
Choosing the most appropriate legal structure can be difficult for new organisations.
Holly Hawkins, a solicitor with Avon and Bristol Law Centre, describes some of the
services that the Law Centre can offer to organisations through the Support Hub.
People in communities often

What type of structure might a

come together to form a new

community group consider?

community group or organisation

There are several different

to meet the needs of their

structures which a community

community. It is important for

group might want to consider

the group to be clear about their

and these may include:

legal structure. There are likely
to be different options open to
community groups and initially
understanding the pros and cons
of each may be challenging.
Avon and Bristol Law Centre can
offer advice and support to
groups to help them:
• Understand the range of
different legal structures
available.
• Identify an appropriate legal
structure for their organisation.
• Set up an organisation

• An Unincorporated Association.
• A Charitable Trust.

2011 as it relates to charitable

• A Charitable Company/Company

organisations. The Act contains

Limited by Guarantee.
• A Charitable Incorporated

descriptions of purposes and
confirms the need for charitable
purposes to be for ‘the public

Organisation.
• A Community Interest Company.
The group may also want to
consider whether it is capable of
being recognised as a charity and
whether trustees have a duty to
register a charity.

benefit’. We can give advice
to help a group be clearer on
what a charitable purpose is and
to understand public benefit
principles. We can also advise on
both the registration process and
the registration requirements for

What support can Avon

charities.

(including advising on the

and Bristol Law Centre

By discussing these aspects in

completion of relevant

provide to groups through

some detail, we aim to help

documents and filing

the Support Hub?

Support Hub customers to

requirements).

The support available can

decide on the most appropriate

include an exploration of the

legal structure to set up. We can

for charities to register with

group’s organisational aims and

also help with completing legal

the Charity Commission and the

objectives and consideration of

paperwork.

process involved (if applicable).

some different legal structures.

For more information on the

• Understand the requirements

If relevant, the Law Centre may
refer to specific legislation –
for example the Charities Act

10 www.voscur.org

Support Hub and how to get
in contact, please see the
information box on the next page.

January / February / March 2013 Issue 19

Support Hub

Seeing the wood for the trees
– help with business planning
Voluntary and community sector
organisations are increasingly
required to produce business
plans that set out their futures
and prove that their organisations
are effective.
Over the last year, many Support
Hub customers have requested
support with business and strategic
planning. In addition, organisations
are reviewing the potential of
different sources of income, such
as trading activities, to improve
their resilience in the difficult
economic climate. Customers tell
us that they do not know where to
start and need help with different
stages of business planning.
In response to this, we have
developed an additional Support
Hub service. Social Enterprise
Works – an organisation that offers
expert guidance, support and
training to help social enterprises
grow, develop and succeed – will
provide business planning support
to Support Hub customers.
What is included in business
planning support?
The main focus of this new
service is to improve Support
Hub customers’ ability to develop
business plans that set out clear
aims and goals. The service has
been designed to be flexible
about specific requirements and
the support may cover some of

Photo by Andy Logan

the following aspects of business
planning:
• Vision, mission and values.
• Aims and strategic objectives.
• Products, activities and services.
• Market research and
competition.
• External environment – political,
environmental, economic
aspects.
• Action planning and
prioritisation.
How does it work?
Support Hub development workers
help customers to identify their
organisations’ circumstances and
needs using a ‘health check’. They
then support the organisation
by proposing an action plan to
address the organisation’s needs.
That action plan would include
actions for the organisation’s
staff and trustees, actions for the
development worker or referrals

Issue 19 January / February / March 2013

to specific Support Hub services.
If support for business planning
is included in an action plan,
the referral would be to Social
Enterprise Works.
Elaine Flint of Social Enterprise
Works says: “We are pleased to
be working with the Support Hub
to help voluntary and community
organisations develop and improve
their business plans. These
plans are essential tools to help
organisations track progress and
provide guidance for decisionmaking and to help with raising
funds and being sustainable.”

For the services on this
double-page spread, as
well as others offered
by the Support Hub, visit:
www.supporthub.org.uk or
call 0117 909 9949.

www.voscur.org

11

Support Hub training courses
The Support Hub is offering an exciting range of courses between now and April to help your
organisation to run effectively and be ahead of the curve when it comes to engaging in commissioning,
fundraising, working in partnership and more! For all of these courses, as well as others which are
added throughout the year, visit: www.supporthub.org.uk/training-hub.

Trustees and meetings training:
Becoming a trustee is an exciting opportunity to be involved in the management of an organisation.
These training courses are a good way to build up your confidence and knowledge to perform well
in your new role.

Having Effective Meetings

Being a Good Trustee

19 February 2013, 9:30am-3:30pm

7 March 2013, 6:30pm-9:30pm

We all know how to have an ineffective meeting; this
course will give you a series of tools to use in order
to get the most from your meetings, including time
keeping and focus.

Being an Even Better Trustee
14 March 2013, 6:30pm-9:30pm
These two short evening courses are ideal for
anyone who has just become a trustee or wants to
brush up on their knowledge and skills. Being a Good
Trustee covers the roles and responsibilities of a
trustee; Being an Even Better Trustee goes into more
detail about governance, managing risk, effective
meetings and how to make the most of the skills in
your trustee team.

Commissioning training:
Commissioning is becoming an increasingly common way for services in Bristol to be funded so it is
important for everyone to understand how this works and how they can engage.

Commissioning for Beginners
29 January 2013, 9:30am-1pm
Commissioning can seem daunting, but this half-day
course will help you to make sense of it. This course
covers the principles of commissioning, explains the
terminology, takes you through the commissioning
cycle and deals with some of the myths and fears
around the whole process.

Using Proactis Plaza
27 February 2013, 9:30am-1pm

12 www.voscur.org

Proactis Plaza is Bristol City Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s online system
which organisations need to use if they want to be
commissioned for work. This short, practical course
introduces you to the system and how to use it.

Commissioning and Outcomes
18 March 2013, 9:30am-3:30pm
This course is aimed at anyone with some experience
of fundraising or as a follow-on to Commissioning for
Beginners. It looks at what outcomes actually mean
in practice, how to monitor these and where to find
further support.

January / February / March 2013â&#x20AC;&#x192; Issue 19

Support Hub

Staff and volunteer management training:
Managing other people can be rewarding but also challenging. It’s important to feel confident in
this work, especially when it comes to the more complex areas.

Managing Redundancy
16 January 2013, 9:30am-1pm
Everyone hopes never to have to face it, but it is
important that organisations prepare for how they
would manage redundancies. This short course gives
an introduction to the practicalities and potential
challenges of managing the process.

Volunteers and the Law

Updating your Equality
and Diversity Policy
21 February 2013, 9:30am-3:30pm
Whether this is a development area for you or
something you’ve done before, this course will help
you work through updating and improving your
equality and diversity policy so it works for you, your
staff, volunteers and service users.

24 January 2013, 9:30am-1pm

Writing your Safeguarding Policy

Volunteers can add value to organisations, as well as
building their own skills and confidence. In order for
both sides to get the most from the arrangement,
it is important to be clear on the law and best
practice. A good introductory course for all volunteer
managers. This course is delivered in partnership with
Volunteer Bristol.

26 March 2013, 9:30am-3:30pm
This course will provide an introduction to writing a
safeguarding policy for vulnerable groups, particularly
children and young people.

Fundraising training:
Fundraising is at the forefront of lots of people’s minds right now, and worth spending some time
on to get clued up.

Introduction to Fundraising
31 January 2013, 9:30am-3:30pm
This course introduces you to the landscape of
funding and helps you to think about what funding
opportunities to apply for. It also introduces you
to the language and skills you need for successful
funding bids. A great course for people new to
fundraising.

Prove it! Convincing Funders
Your Project is Needed

well? Come on this course and get equipped with the
skills and resources to make funders take notice.

Developing a Fundraising Strategy
13 March 2013, 9:30am-3:30pm
Not sure where to go next with fundraising or feeling
like it’s a lot of work for less gain than you’d like? If
yes – this course is for you. It introduces fundraising
strategies and why they’re useful, external challenges
and opportunities and how to start thinking about a
variety of funding sources.

25 February 2013, 9:30am-3:30pm
You know your project is necessary and performing
well: now how do you make sure funders see this as

Issue 19 January / February / March 2013

www.voscur.org

13

Finance training:
Finance and financial management is an area where it is always important to keep knowledge and
and awareness up to date. The Support Hub is offering several creative and engaging events and
workshops designed to do just that.

PAYE Changes: Making Sense of
Real Time Information
5 February 2013, 10am-12pm
Delivered by HMRC, this presentation explains the
changes coming in April 2013 for employers. It will
examine what Real Time Information (RTI) means and
what needs to be done to prepare for it, including
submitting pay and tax details to HMRC every payday.

VCS Funding Fair
7 February 2013, 9:30am-3:30pm

learn how best to present your proposals. There will
also be workshops and presentations on the day –
look out for further information in Voscur’s e-bulletins
and on the Voscur website.

Finance Forum
5 March 2013, 10am-12:30pm
The Finance Forum offers a chance to meet other
workers with financial responsibilities, find out about
what is happening in the world of finance and attend
workshops designed to develop your skills.

The Funding Fair is a chance to get informed about
funding opportunities, identify appropriate funds and

Other training:
Working Together: Legal
Considerations

To book onto any of these courses
or to find out more, please go to:
www.supporthub.org.uk/traininghub. Alternatively, you can call us on
0117 909 9949.

30 January 2013, 9:30am-1pm
Partnership working is something that more and
more organisations are considering and it can be an
exciting move. However, it is important to know the
law around any partnership work before ploughing
ahead; this half-day course will give you a good
introduction to what you need to know.

This is a QR code,

Food Hygiene

you to scan these

25 March 2013, 9:30am-4:30pm

codes for instant

This course is for any organisation looking to build
up skills around food hygiene, whether that is
training volunteers and staff for a community cafe
or wanting to be aware of how to handle food
during toddler group picnics.

14 www.voscur.org

designed for
smart phones and
devices. You can
download an ‘app’
which will allow

access to additional information on your
mobile/smart device.

January / February / March 2013 Issue 19

Support Hub

Volunteers and the Law
Volunteering is popular in Bristol
and plays a huge part in the
success of our thriving voluntary
and community sector. Over
350 people sign up to Volunteer
Bristol every month, looking to
develop skills, get involved and
give something back.
Volunteers benefit organisations,
bringing enthusiasm, energy,
skills, knowledge and passion,
which many organisations are
embracing. However, there are
important legal considerations
when taking on volunteers,
whether for one-off events or
long-term projects.

??Should I give new volunteers
a job description or a role
description?
??Is it all right to get new
volunteers to fill in an
application form?
??Can I pay my volunteers a
nominal amount for their
volunteering or should I
just cover their out-of-pocket
expenses?*
If you are not sure of the answers
to these questions (or have
other questions about how
the law applies to volunteers
in your organisation), then the
Support Hub’s half-day training
on Volunteers and the Law will be

Managing redundancies: better
to have a plan and not need it!
According to Labour Market
Statistics, redundancy rates at the
end of 2011 were 6.6%, up slightly
from the year before. Across
the sector, cuts in funding and
changes in service provision are
increasing, as is the possibility that
organisations will have to manage
making posts redundant.
Managing redundancies
is something that most
organisations hope never to
have to deal with. Despite this,
it pays to think about how your
organisation would handle this

and to have plans in place.
In January 2013, Voscur’s
Support Hub will be running a
one-day training course to help
organisations start thinking about
how to manage redundancies.
Delivered by Charity HR, this
course will cover the process
and how to follow it, as well as
the rights, responsibilities and
potential issues for employers
facing managing redundancies.
The training will also look at
ways it may be possible to avoid

Issue 19 January / February / March 2013

helpful for you, giving you a good
grounding in the basics, as well as
an introduction to other sources
of information and support. The
session, taking place in January
2013, is delivered in partnership
with Volunteer Bristol, Bristol’s
volunteer bureau that provides
support to volunteer managers
as well as running an active
volunteer matching service.
* Answers: role description; yes,
as long as you don’t call it a ‘job
application form’; only out-of-pocket
expenses.

For more information:
www.supporthub.org.
uk/training-hub
Volunteers and the Law
24 January 2013, 9:30am-1pm

redundancies, and other options
instead of redundancy.
Like many things that seem
worrying, dealing with the
concerns can make a huge
difference. Even if your
organisation seems unlikely to be
facing redundancies in the near
future, it is often better to have a
plan and not need it than to need
a plan and not have it.

Using the new Bristol Compact –
your organisation and commissioning
Last year, following a detailed consultation, the Compact Partners’ Group coordinated
a revision of the Bristol Compact to ensure it is fit for purpose in the context of
commissioning, personalisation, localism, new health structures and a new Bristol
Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner.
Many interested parties (both
public and voluntary and
community sector) contributed
to the consultation and there
were high levels of support for
all elements of the new Bristol
Compact. Eighty per cent agreed
with the new shared values that
underpin it, and 86% agreed
with the new commitments,
both those of the voluntary
and community sector and
public sector, and those that
are shared. For a full write-up
on the consultation, visit: www.
bristolcompact.org.uk/news/
compact-consultation-results.
The new Bristol Compact was
launched in November 2012 and
covers all types of relationships
between the sectors (including
volunteering and community
cohesion). The main message that
came out of the consultation
however was that the Compact
needs to be relevant in relation to
commissioning, to help voluntary
organisations to engage.

16 www.voscur.org

Commissioning cycle
The types of activities and
involvement of the voluntary
and community sector changes
throughout the commissioning
cycle. As can be seen in the
diagram to the right, there are
four key stages (‘analyse’, ‘plan’,
‘do’, ‘review’) which are common
to any planning process. As
activities change throughout
the cycle, so does the nature of
the relationships between your
organisation and commissioners.
The following commitments
– shared, public sector and
voluntary and community sector
– illustrate the use of the Bristol

Basic Commis

Analyse

Compact in the commissioning
cycle.

As you will see, we
have referenced
each commitment
according to its place in the
new Bristol Compact document.
To read more, you can access
the full document here:
www.bristolcompact.org.uk/
bristolcompact.

‘Analyse’ stage
Understanding people’s/
communities’ needs
and the provider market
Your organisation may want
to define what social value
means and how you measure it
– in readiness for the new legal
requirement of procurement
to consider social value [shared

‘Plan’ stage
Proposing to meet
people’s needs
Look out for the consultation
on the draft commissioning plan
– it’s an important opportunity
[VCS 3.12] and the consultation
process should be fair and
reasonable [shared 3.1-3.8] so
that your organisation can
respond. In designing the
purchasing/procurement
options, commissioners should
consider the possibilities of the
local provider market [public
sector 1.14]. Best practice, such
as full cost recovery budgeting,
should be included in funding
opportunities by commissioners
and in proposals/accounting by
VCS providers [shared 1.4].

‘Do’ stage

Plan

Do

New services in place
and meeting needs
Service providers should strive
for continuous improvement,
which may be achieved by
facilitating feedback from
service users to improve services
[VCS 1.19]. Contract management
should be proportionate [public
sector 1.10]. Commissioners
should recognise that payment
in advance of expenditure
enables more VCS organisations
to engage in sustainable service
delivery [public sector 1.13].

Issue 19 January / February / March 2013

‘Review’ stage
Are services still needed?
Recognise [shared 5.1] and
work together [shared 5.3] to
minimise the impact of changes
or reductions of funding on
service users and employees.
Understand and take into
account when designing
and implementing policies,
programmes and services
the specific needs of underrepresented and disadvantaged
groups [shared 2.1].

The Bristol Compact and
your organisation
Many Bristol Compact
commitments apply to different
parts of the commissioning cycle
– these will change according
to your specific relationship. It
would be an advantage for your
governance body (management
committee, board of trustees) and
staff team to become familiar with
the commitments so that your
organisation can deliver and lobby
for best practice. The success of
the new Bristol Compact is our
shared responsibility. If we use
it, and not just when we’re in a
crisis, it will help us to improve
our relationships and facilitate
effective working.

Social value – the voluntary
sector’s unique selling point
As the new Public Works (Social Value) Act 2012 comes into effect we look at how
the voluntary and community sector (VCS) can use this legislation to its advantage by
emphasising VCS added value.
In January 2013 the Public Works
(Social Value) Act 2012 comes
into effect. For the first time,
all public bodies in England
and Wales, including local

The Public Works (Social Value) Act 2012 will ask that
public bodies, including councils, commission services
from providers who are committed to doing more than
simply making money from a contract.

authorities, will be required to
consider how the services they
commission and procure might
improve the economic, social and
environmental well-being of the
area. The requirements of the
Act involve looking beyond the
price of each individual contract
and looking at what the collective
benefit to a community is when
a public body chooses to award
a contract. Social value asks the
question: “If £1 is spent on the
delivery of services, can that same
£1 also be used to produce a
wider benefit to the community?”

What does the Act require
public bodies to do?
The Act states that:
“The authority must consider—
(a) how what is proposed to
be procured might improve
the economic, social and
environmental well-being of
the relevant area, and (b) how,
in conducting the process of

18 www.voscur.org

procurement, it might act
with a view to securing that
improvement.”

Why is the Public Works
(Social Value) Act 2012
relevant to the VCS?
It will ask that public bodies,
including councils, commission
services from providers who are
committed to doing more than
simply making money from a
contract. Commissioners and
procurement officers will need to
seek out organisations that deliver
above and beyond, charging a
fair price while supporting the
boroughs and communities in
which they operate. The strength
of the VCS is that the work it
undertakes is driven by wanting to
do social good and not by making
money. Many VCS organisations
not only deliver services but do
so in a way that provides added
social value.

How will the Public Works
(Social Value) Act 2012 be
introduced in Bristol?
Currently, Bristol City Council
has established sustainable
procurement in its commissioning
processes. This expects financial,
social and environmental issues
to be taken into consideration in
commissioning. Although these
measures can be part of social
value, the current policy does
not clearly define social value
or how it would be measured
in commissioning processes.
There are, for example, no new
indicators of social value under
the headings – this presents
an opportunity for the VCS to
propose some recommended
social value indicators. What
social value indicators would you
propose? Join the discussion at:
www.voiceandinfluence.org.
uk/developing-social-valueindicators-bristol.

January / February / March 2013 Issue 19

Voice and Influence
Local examples of
social value:

safely providing over 12 million

experience, skills and qualifications

passenger trips on their fleet of

to move on into employment.

The Bristol Pound

2011 HCT took over the operation

buses every year. In September
of the A4 Park and Ride Service
(904) in Bristol and in April 2012
started operating the Portway
(902) Park and Ride. As a social
enterprise bus operator, the
commercial contracts in Bristol
bring social value by helping
to support the work of Bristol

Photo by Pavel Medzyun

Community Transport (BCT).
BCT provides low-cost, accessible

www.csvavon.org.uk/cafe.htm

What can you do about
social value?
• Ask your commissioner or
contract manager how they
propose to assess social value
in commissioning processes.
• Work in your organisation to
define what social value means,
how your organisation achieves
it and collect evidence of it.

The first Bristol Pound notes

minibuses for community groups;

were circulated in 2012. The

community buses and cars for

Bristol Pound is a local currency

older people and people with

that encourages spending in

disabilities; training services;

Bristol to boost local economic

and more.

activity by retaining money in the

www.bristolcommunitytransport.

5.8 refer to social value. You

org.uk

can access this here:

www.bristolparkandride.org

www.bristolcompact.org.uk/

www.hctgroup.org

bristolcompact.

area. This delivers social value by
encouraging and strengthening
economic ties between the people
of the area and local traders. The
Bristol Pound is a complementary

This will be useful in proving
your case in commissioning
processes.
• Check the new Bristol Compact
– commitments 1.1, 1.2 and

Whole-Baked Cafe

currency that can be used alone
or alongside the national currency.
Its use by provider organisations

Find out more

in paying suppliers and employees

Public Works (Social
Value) Act 2012

could demonstrate social value.
www.bristolpound.org
HCT Group/Bristol
Community Transport

The Whole-Baked Cafe in Bristol
was established over 20 years ago.
It not only offers a daily changing
selection of meat, vegetarian
and vegan dishes, salads, snacks
and desserts, but provides added
social value by offering training
for people who have a learning
disability. The Cafe is open from

HCT Group is a social enterprise
in the transport industry,

12-2pm, Monday to Friday, and
works with people with a learning
disability who wish to gain

Issue 19 January / February / March 2013

www.legislation.gov.uk/
ukpga/2012/3/enacted
NAVCA presentation on the
Public Works (Social Value)
Act 2012
www.navca.org.uk/downloads/
generate/3253
Also, see page six for
information on the Proving
Our Value project and how it
could help you to prove your
worth to funders.

www.voscur.org

19

Equalities news
The start of 2013 brings an immediate focus on equalities communities – 27 January
commemorates Holocaust Memorial Day, February will see events taking place for
LGBT History Month, and 8 March marks International Women’s Day.
Voscur is pleased to support activities and events that raise awareness, address inequality and celebrate
diversity. It is important to emphasise that the championing of equalities must be an ongoing commitment
throughout the year. The voluntary sector is active in addressing inequality while working with local
communities and partners in other sectors to achieve positive change.

Holocaust Memorial Day
(HMD) – 27 January 2013

of HMD projects at an event at
City Hall on Thursday 24 January.
For further information and to
get involved, contact: Simon
Nelson, Equalities (HR Support)
Officer, Bristol City Council on:
Simon.Nelson@bristol.gov.uk
/ 0117 922 2358.

LGBT History Month
– February 2013
Photo by alphadesigner

The theme this year is
‘Communities Together: Building a
Bridge’, which is asking us to share
the lessons of the past and present
and to use our voices to create
a safer and better future. The
day hopes to empower people to
challenge discriminatory behaviour
when they see and hear it.
The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
has appointed Equality South West
as the regional champion for the
day. For support and resources,
email: southwest@hmd.org.uk.
For more information about HMD,
visit: www.hmd.org.uk.
Bristol City Council is currently
discussing showcasing a range

20 www.voscur.org

Some updates on local lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender (LGBT)
projects, and events taking place
in LGBT History Month.

OutStories Bristol

associated with Bristol.
Covering all periods of history
to the present day, our aim is to
record the life stories of LGBT
people and preserve documents
and artefacts that tell those stories
in a publicly accessible way.
Currently, our key activity is an
exhibition of local LGBT history
since the Second World War,
taking place at the M Shed during
February. This has been funded by
a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of
£20,300. Around 40 people have
taken part, allowing us to record
their stories and use their words.
OutStories Bristol is an ongoing
group and will offer other
opportunities for people to get
involved in activities during the
year. For more information, visit:
www.outstoriesbristol.org.uk.

LGBT Bristol
OutStories Bristol is a volunteer
community history group that
gathers the stories of lesbian
gay bisexual and transgendered
(LGBT) people living in or

This year we are concentrating on
two main projects: ‘Walk Out’ and
‘Diversity in Schools’.

January / February / March 2013 Issue 19

Voice and Influence
their equalities competence, and
Ofsted reports.

Walk Out is a one-year joint-funded
project between LGBT Bristol,
Walk for Health and Awards for
All. Launched last October, it aims
to address the health, mental
health and well-being of older, less
able and/or socially isolated LGBT
people. Our development worker
Esther Clarke is developing the
programme and will lead walks
along with volunteers that we will
be recruiting and training.
While supporting the project with
our core funding we will be seeking
further funding to continue the
project beyond the initial year. For
more information about the Walk
Out project please contact Esther
Clarke: walkout@lgbtbristol.org.
uk. Details of the walk timetable
are available on our website
www.lgbtbristol.org.uk.
Diversity in Schools is a 4+ year
project that aims to assist primary
schools in addressing all equalities
issues in policies, school life, the
classroom and the curriculum. We
are setting up support groups for
LGBT governors, staff, and families
to continue dialogue on the
practices we introduce. We will also
work to set up a network for all the
groups to link into.
Our database will include
information for the public about
each school, including details of

To celebrate LGBT History Month
we invite you to attend the
Diversity in Schools project launch
on 1 February 2013 at City Hall
from 5-9pm. There will be various
presenters providing information
and entertainment. All local LGBT
groups are invited to take part,
and in the foyer you will be able
to see our art project (drawings of
LGBT families by local children).
For more information about
the Diversity in Schools project and
how to get involved in the
art project, please email:
sarah@lgbtbristol.org.uk.

International Women’s
Day – 8 March 2013
Confronting
Women’s
Poverty:
Turning Things
Around
In response
to the grossly
disproportionate effect of the
government’s cuts on women
(the Fawcett Society has
shown that £5.8 billion of the

have led to unprecedented levels
of poverty among women (and
men) – in welfare cuts, increased
debt, higher fuel and food bills,
etc. – and widened the gap
between rich and poor. The event
will highlight the reality of women’s
poverty, as well as working towards
finding positive solutions.
The full programme/booking
details will be announced on
the event blog nearer the time:
confrontingwomenspoverty.
blogspot.co.uk. Email:
confrontingpoverty@gmail.com.
Twitter feed @ConfrontPoverty.

Polish Information Day
– 20 January 2013
SARI, Avon and Somerset Police
and Voscur will be hosting the
second Polish Information Day on
20 January 2013. Last year’s event
was a huge success; hundreds
of people from Bristol’s Polish
community attended to find out
about voluntary and community
sector and public sector services
available to them. Many groups had
stalls and promoted their activities.
This year’s event will again be
held at the Polish Church on

£8 billion cuts will be taken from
women’s pockets), feminist
activists in Bristol are organising
a one-day event at City Hall on
International Women’s Day,
Friday 8 March 2013.

Cheltenham Road, from 11am-

This event will welcome national
speakers to Bristol together with
representatives from South West
organisations whose work is
dedicated to addressing the impact
of government policies. These

by emailing: anna.skotniczna@

Issue 19 January / February / March 2013

3pm. This is a great opportunity
for local groups – if your
organisation would like to have
a stall or get involved, please
contact PCSO Anna Skotniczna
avonandsomerset.police.uk or
calling: 07766137137

www.voscur.org

21

Voice and Influence

Voscur’s Deaf people’s
Transitional Development Project
Voscur has been commissioned by the Council’s Health and Social Care team to explore
and identify needs and aspirations of Deaf1 people (and those with a significant
hearing impairment) in Bristol and to help to plan future service delivery.
In Bristol it is estimated that there
are around 350 profoundly Deaf
people for whom British Sign
Language (BSL) is their first and
preferred language.2 It is hoped
that the results of the latest
Census (see page 23) will give us
a more up-to-date picture for
Bristol. There are also many more
deaf and hard-of-hearing people
who are not using BSL. In all
there are probably around 6,000
people who are Deaf and/or hard
of hearing. This is based on the
understanding that 1 in 7 people
have some kind of hearing loss.3
Deaf people who prefer to
communicate by signs often like
to spend their time together
with others in a similar situation,
rather than navigating difficult
language/communication barriers.4
This makes it difficult for service
providers (including Bristol City
Council’s Health and Social Care
team) to fully understand Deaf
people’s needs.
Voscur’s Deaf Development Project
aims to find out how the Council
can improve its health and social
care services for Deaf people,
making them more accessible
and removing any barriers that
prevent Deaf people from using

22 www.voscur.org

Eva Fielding-Jackson, Deaf Transitional Development Worker

them. The project is also looking
for ways to increase Deaf people’s
confidence in using local services,
as well as their independence and
empowerment more generally.
Eva Fielding-Jackson, Deaf
Transitional Development Worker,
has produced a questionnaire as
part of the project which can be
completed up until 28 January.
Hard copies of this questionnaire
are available, as well as an online
and signed DVD version.
Results from the questionnaire
will help Voscur to make key
recommendations that will inform
future service design, and address
social and support needs of Deaf
people in Bristol.

If you wish to contact
Eva her email address
is evafj@voscur.org or
for the online questionnaire, visit:
www.survey.bris.ac.uk/voscur/
deafcommunity.

1. Deaf with a capital ‘D’ represents
Deaf people who are culturally Deaf
and use BSL as their first language.
2. This information is based on the
number of Deaf people who receive
Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
3. Action for Hearing Loss (the new
name for The Royal National
Institute for Deaf People). There is
an agreed formula worldwide where
1 in 1,000 are born profoundly deaf
and 1 in 7 will develop some sort of
hearing loss.
4. ‘Deaf People in the Community’,
2002, Deaf Studies Trust (Bristol).

January / February / March 2013 Issue 19

Voice and Influence

Count me in – what the latest
Census tells us about Bristol
Photo by Tico

As the information on Bristol from
the latest Census is released, Voscur
has organised a briefing to help
voluntary and community sector
organisations find out about the
changing population of Bristol.
In early 2013, the analysed data
from the Census carried out in
2011 will be released. This data
provides the most up-to-date
information on Bristol’s population.
The Census headlines were released
in September 2012 but the full
information gives a comprehensive
picture of Bristol, with details
of population, demographics,
employment, income, housing
tenure, equalities groups and more.

What the 2011 Census
headlines tell us
Bristol’s total Census day population
was 428,200, making Bristol the
tenth largest local authority in
England and Wales.
Bristol’s population increased by
38,200 or 9.8% between 2001 and
2011, a percentage increase which
is much higher than the averages
for both the South West (7.0%) and
England and Wales (7.1%). Bristol
had the third highest growth rate
of all Core Cities* after Manchester
(19.0%) and Nottingham (13.7%).
Bristol has a younger age profile
than England and Wales and the
South West region. The median age

of people living in Bristol was 33.7
years old – 5.3 years lower than the
England and Wales median of
39 years.

Bristol had the third
highest growth rate of
all Core Cities* after
Manchester (19.0%) and
Nottingham (13.7%).
(Census, 2011)

There were 74,100 children (aged
0-14) living in Bristol according
to the 2011 Census, making 17%
of the total population. This is
similar to the South West (16%)
and England and Wales averages
(18%). The number of 0-14 year
olds has increased by 5,400
since 2001, which was a 7.9%
increase compared to a 0.6%
increase nationally. The increase
was particularly concentrated in
the under 5s, both in Bristol and
nationally. In Bristol the number of
0-4 year olds has increased by 6,200
(26.5%) since 2001, over double the
national increase of 13.1%.

Issue 19 January / February / March 2013

There were 298,200 people of
working age (15 to 64 years) living
in Bristol according to the 2011
Census, making up 70% of the total
population. This proportion was
higher than both the South West
average (64%) and the England and
Wales average (66%). This age group
has increased by 34,600 since 2001.
Looking at the number of over 85s,
there was a total of 1,500 living in
Bristol. This age group has increased
by 20.3% since 2001.

Voscur (working in
partnership with
Bristol City Council)
is holding a Census briefing
for voluntary and community
sector groups on Thursday 28
February 2013, 2-4pm.
For more information and
to book your place at the
Voscur Census briefing visit:
goo.gl/VIciL

www.voscur.org

23

Voice and Influence

More tough times ahead for health
and social care – time to raise the
profile of the sector
Photo by CBSS-Baltic21

In November 2012, The Institute
of Fiscal Studies announced that
the government is likely to get less
tax receipts than planned, leading
to the national borrowing target
being missed by around £13 billion
for this financial year. This is bad
news for health and social care;
we are likely to see a continuation
of ‘austerity measures’, which
means more reductions in
funding for health and social care
budgets, reductions in support
for the voluntary and community
sector (VCS) and reductions in
welfare payments to those most
vulnerable in society.
So, all the more reason to do
more to promote the value of
the voluntary sector and raise
our profile. At Voscur, we have
been putting energy into raising
the profile of the VCS with the
new Bristol Mayor (see pages
30-31) and improving the VCS
presence at strategic meetings.
We have been asked by Bristol
City Council to have a sector-wide
representation on two partnership
groups – the Provider Forum
and the Physical and Sensory
Impairment Board.

We need your help
Both groups meet quarterly for
about two hours and we are

24 www.voscur.org

looking for someone to attend
who can speak for the sector as
a whole. Both groups hear about
current activities of Bristol City
Council and can contribute to
early-stage thinking. VCS issues
can be raised and pursued
through these forums.

Why attend and
represent the VCS?
We think having a sector-wide
presence is vital to raising our
profile and reminding everyone
about the expertise of the VCS
and its huge contribution to
improving people’s lives. On
a more individualistic level,
attending these meetings
provides an opportunity to find
out how decisions are made, how
Bristol City Council works and to
hear about the latest initiatives.
Our VCS advocates (we prefer
‘advocate’ to ‘representative’ as
the role is about advocating for

the sector rather than attempting
to represent its diverse views)
have our support with their roles.
Advocates are not required to
give us lengthy reports, but to
write a short summary, and they
are encouraged to do a short
video update of their take on the
meetings they attend.
If we have more than one person
apply for these roles, we will ask
the voluntary and community
sector to vote. Anyone can come
forward and ‘self nominate’
themselves for the roles.

If you would like to
take up the challenge
contact Sue Brazendale
on 0117 909 9949 or email
sue@voscur.org.
Details of the Provider Forum
and the Physical and Sensory
Impairment Board can be found
here: goo.gl/FYnXz.

January / February / March 2013 Issue 19

Voice and Influence

Measuring outcomes
for young people
Achieving in education, successful

providers and commissioners to

careers, being healthy, having

articulate and demonstrate impact

positive relationships, involvement

in improving outcomes for young

in meaningful, enjoyable

people.

activities – these factors all play
an important role in the life
chances of young people. Aware
of this, providers of services for
young people often work in the
important area of personal and
social development, supporting
young people to achieve in these

A specific focus is on social and
emotional capabilities (sometimes
referred to as ‘soft skills’, or ‘noncognitive skills’) because they
are not measured by standard
cognitive tests and play an
important role in the achievement

Young person taking part in the Creative
Youth Network’s ‘Arts 4 Life’ project.

such as educational attainment,
employment, and health.

of all other outcomes for

The Framework also sets out

young people. Supporting the

a matrix of available tools to

Capturing the difference that

development of young people’s

measure these capabilities,

services make can be challenging.

underlying social and emotional

addressing which capabilities each

The link between the impact of

capabilities is a strong theme in

tool covers, key criteria that might

services and the achievement

the government’s Positive for

be considered in selecting an

of these outcomes is hard to

Youth strategy, which encourages

appropriate tool (such as cost or

assess or demonstrate for many

a stronger focus on early help

the number of users) and a step-

young people, especially as these

to support all young people to

by-step approach to measuring

outcomes usually lie some way in

succeed.

these capabilities in practice.

areas and get the most out of life.

the future. Outcomes from the
process of personal and social
development can be equally
difficult to measure.

The Framework of Outcomes for
Young People uses a model of

For details and to access the
document, go to: goo.gl/BJMSA.

seven interlinked clusters of social
and emotional capabilities that

To help address this, the Young

are of value to young people:

Foundation has developed a

communication, confidence and

‘Framework of Outcomes for

agency; planning and problem

Young People’ (as part of the

solving; relationships and

Catalyst Consortium which is

leadership; creativity, resilience

funded by the Department of

and determination; and managing

Education to strengthen the

feelings. There is strong evidence

youth sector). The emphasis of

demonstrating the link between

this framework is on supporting

these capabilities and outcomes

Issue 19 January / February / March 2013

Events to
look out for:
CYP briefing on the
Outcomes Framework:
6 March 2013, 10am-12pm
CYP Network meeting
February 2013, further
details TBC.

www.voscur.org

25

Making Bristol a
restorative city
In December 2012, Voscur partnered with Avon and Somerset Probation Trust to hold
‘Restorative Bristol’, a conference that explored how public and voluntary and community
sector organisations could work together to make Bristol a restorative city. As part of
the conference, a guide to restorative justice was produced which includes different
examples of projects being delivered by both public and voluntary and community sector
organisations. This extract from the guide, authored by Marian Liebmann, explains what
restorative justice is and some of the different restorative processes.

Restorative justice:
a definition
There are many definitions of
restorative justice. The Restorative
Justice Council uses the following
definition on its website:
‘Restorative processes bring those
harmed by crime or conflict, and
those responsible for the harm,
into communication, enabling
everyone affected by a particular

Restorative justice helps offenders

the mediator, work out the

to understand the real impact

terms of the agreement.

of what they have done, to take
responsibility and make amends in
whatever way possible.

Victim-offender mediation –
an impartial third party helps
the victim(s) and offender(s) to

Restorative processes can be

communicate, either directly or

used at any stage in the criminal

indirectly. The mediation process

justice system: in schools and

can lead to greater understanding

communities, diversion by the

for both parties and sometimes to

police, between conviction or

tangible reparation.

sentencing, or post-sentence.

Restorative conferencing

incident to play a part in repairing

Restorative processes are also

– similar in principle to victim-

the harm and finding a positive

being used in schools, care homes

offender mediation but involves

way forward.’ (Restorative Justice

and the community to address

families of victims and offenders,

Council 2012)

conflict, build understanding and

and other relevant members of

strengthen relationships.

the community. Often a script of

In criminal justice, restorative
processes give victims the chance
to tell offenders the impact of
their crimes, and get answers to
their questions and an apology –
sometimes some things can be
put right.

26 www.voscur.org

Some restorative
processes: definitions
Mediation (conflicts) – an
impartial third party helps two (or
more) disputing parties to reach
an agreement. The disputants, not

questions is used.
Family group conferencing –
similar to restorative conferencing
but the offender’s family has
some private time to come up
with a viable plan for reparation
and for the future.

January / February / March 2013 Issue 19

Voice and Influence
Reparation – the action taken

them become more aware of the

by the offender(s) to put right

effect their crime has had on their

the harm done, whether directly

victim(s). It can be undertaken

to the victim or indirectly to the

in its own right and also as a

community.

preparation for a meeting with

Victim-offender groups – groups
in which victims of crime and
offenders meet, usually for a
set number of sessions, where
the victims have suffered similar
crimes (but not the actual crimes)
to those perpetrated by the
offenders (for example, burglary
victims and burglars).
Victim awareness work – work
done with offenders to help

the victim.

Research
Research has shown good
results: high victim and offender
satisfaction reduced reoffending
in many cases, and a lessening of
post-traumatic stress symptoms
for victims.
(Sherman & Strang 2007;
Shapland et al 2011)

Case Study: Community Resolve
Community Resolve is a charity and social enterprise. It was set
up in Bristol in 2002 and now has 20+ part-time workers from
local communities.
“We work with individuals, groups

trained local residents from both

and agencies across the city to

communities to work in pairs,

transform local tensions and

going door to door to talk to

build stronger communities.

everyone. Issues included a lack

A recent example of our work
relates to violent verbal and
physical clashes that had taken
place between white and
newly arrived Somali residents
in a tower block in Bristol. Its
population had changed, with
nearly 50% new arrivals in an area
that was historically white. Over
six months, we visited all the
flats with a questionnaire about
the difficulties they faced. We

of language, housing support
and opportunities for original
and new residents; also a stark
difference in attitudes to dogs.
Questionnaire results were fed
back to residents (as a letter

Young people at a Community Resolve
‘Fridays@mill’ mentoring session

residents group which monitored
difficulties in the block. Clashes
between residents reduced, and
an incident eight months later
was resolved by the residents
group.”
Hen Wilkinson,

through their door, in English and

Community Resolve.

Somali), and at two multi-agency

For more information, visit:

meetings. Positive developments

www.communityresolve.org.uk

included a welcome pack for

or call 0117 955 3021.

new residents in English and
other languages and a diverse

Issue 19 January / February / March 2013

www.voscur.org

27

Voice and Influence

Community Infrastructure Levy
New funding source will support new neighbourhood facilities.
The Community Infrastructure Levy
(called ‘the levy’ or ‘CIL’) allows
local planning authorities to raise
funds from developers who are
undertaking new building projects
in their area. The funds raised will
go towards infrastructure that is
needed to support the growth of
the city. CIL is applied as a charge
on each square metre of new
building, and will be payable by
most developments in Bristol.
It replaces a number of existing
Section 106* contributions.
The CIL charging schedule was
formally approved by the Council
in September 2012. It will apply to
all relevant development permitted
after 1 January 2013.

Is any development
exempt from the CIL?
The CIL regulations provide for
mandatory exemptions from
CIL for both social housing and
development by charities for their
charitable purposes.

How much income will
the CIL generate?
It is anticipated that approximately
£14,000,000 of CIL funding will be
received between 1 January 2013
and 31 March 2018.

What can CIL income
be spent on?
The money raised through CIL
must be spent on infrastructure

28 www.voscur.org

A new development in Easton. Photo by David Martyn

to support the growth of the city.
The Planning Act 2008 provides a
wide definition of this including
transport, flood defences, schools,
hospitals, and other health and
social care facilities. This allows the
Levy to be used to fund a broad
range of facilities such as play
areas, parks and green spaces,
cultural and sports facilities,
district heating schemes, police
stations and other community
safety facilities. This gives local
communities flexibility to choose
what infrastructure they need to
deliver their development plans.

Who will decide what
CIL is spent on?

The Levy is intended to focus on
the provision of new infrastructure
and should not be used to
remedy pre-existing deficiencies
in infrastructure provision unless
those will be made more severe
by new development. The Levy

of CIL is to be allocated.

can be used to increase the
capacity of existing infrastructure
or to repair failing infrastructure
if either is necessary to support
development.

Government intends that a
“meaningful proportion” of
each CIL receipt is devolved
to the community in which
the development took place.
Regulations setting the parameters
for the “meaningful proportion”
are anticipated early in 2013. Once
these are published, the Mayor
will make a decision on both
the level of the proportion to
be devolved to Neighbourhood
Partnerships, and the mechanism
by which the strategic element

Find out more
CIL information on
Bristol City Council’s
website: goo.gl/3NLlu

January / February / March 2013 Issue 19

Voice and Influence

Work ahead for the new Police
and Crime Commissioner
On 21 November 2012, Sue Mountstevens was sworn into office as the first ever Police
and Crime Commissioner of Avon and Somerset. Her first job will be to prepare the
2013/14 police budget and the five-year Police and Crime Plan for Avon and Somerset
(both to be finalised before April 2013).

The Police and Crime Commissioner Question Time Event at City Hall (previously called the Council House) in October 2012.

Voscur held ‘Question Time’

the experts in this. One of the

group of lay custody visitors

hustings events with all the

things that I know is close to some

which we manage very well, so

candidates in Bristol and Taunton,

people’s hearts is commissioning.

it can be done and we need to

giving VCS groups the opportunity

One of the things I will be looking

work with all the organisations

to quiz the candidates. At the

at very closely if I get elected

throughout the whole of Avon

Bristol Question Time event,

will be evidence. You need to

and Somerset.” (Sue Mountstevens

Voscur Chief Executive Wendy

make sure that whatever you’re

at the Bristol PCC Question Time,

Stephenson asked how the

doing – it’s working. So as far as

18 October 2012)

candidates would work with

preventing crime from happening

local voluntary and community

in the first place, reducing

organisations to identify priorities

reoffending or supporting

and deliver the solutions. Sue

victims, as far as I’m concerned

Mountstevens replied:

those are the outcomes that will

“I think one of the important
things is that we [the PCC] won’t
deliver solutions – we have to
work with all the organisations to
work out what the solutions are.
I certainly don’t have the answer
and I suspect that none of us
[the other candidates] have the
answers, so we need to work with
organisations that are already

be necessary. I’m not going to
be looking for targets; all we do
when we set targets is measure
those things and you leave out
the things that can’t be measured.
So those would be the outcomes
that I would be looking for, but we
need to work with the voluntary
sector, and we have excellence
within the police authority
including an excellent voluntary

Issue 19 January / February / March 2013

Find out more
Listen to the recording
of the PCC Question Time event
held in Bristol on Ujima FM at:
goo.gl/rwELC.
Look out for consultation
event dates for the PCC
Budget and the Police and
Crime Plan and join the mailing
list for the VCS PCC Network
for Avon and Somerset:
www.voiceandinfluence.org.uk/
VCSPCCNetwork

www.voscur.org

29

Bristol’s new Mayor wants to
“champion the voluntary sector”
Independent candidate George Ferguson is the first directly elected Mayor of Bristol.
He was one of ten mayoral candidates who signed up to support our voluntary and
community sector (VCS) pledges for the mayor and we will be working with VCS
groups to monitor how these commitments are implemented.
During the campaign, George
Ferguson joined fellow candidates
at a number of events organised
by Voscur and local partners.
When asked the question ‘How
do you see the voluntary and
community sector contributing
to your vision for Bristol?’, he
responded:
“I want to be your independent
Mayor so that I can be your voice
for the voluntary sector. I want
to champion the voluntary sector
and I want to ensure that we work
together to make Bristol a fairer,
more caring city, a more inclusive
city and one that we can all feel
proud of being part of.”
Speaking at the Voscur AGM last
September, George Ferguson said:
“My general feeling is that
in difficult times we should
look at investing more in the
voluntary sector. Now that’s a
difficult thing to take on, but
it’s undoubtedly true that the
voluntary sector provides much
better value. It’s much closer
to the issues, it’s much closer
to the people it’s serving than
some of the formal structures
with all their bureaucratic layers

30 www.voscur.org

“We need to tear up the rule book, we really need to start
again – we need to look at how we deliver services in this
city and have a very open mind as to how we do it (as to
whether that is from the centre or whether it is from the
neighbourhoods) and who is delivering and how we fund it.”
George Ferguson, Bristol’s elected Mayor

of management, and so I’m
for cutting through all that as
much as possible. I’ve noticed
one or two real needs [from the
discussions with VCS groups at
the AGM]; if we’re to redistribute
the power in this city down to
the local communities, which
we must do, we need stronger
and more even neighbourhood
partnerships. I think a Mayor has
a great responsibility in enabling
that to happen.
“Commissioning and the bidding
processes are vitally important.
It’s been a grumble of mine that
the City Council takes the easy
route, that it doesn’t challenge
the European regulations
enough, assumes that it can’t
give preference to local and small
organisations. It can, it should and
I think it should be helping people

to do that – I think a Mayor should
take leadership on that. I very
much go along with the fact that
women are disproportionately
affected in so many of the issues.
We need to break down the
barriers right across the city and
they are social barriers, they are
transport barriers, general access
barriers, and the voluntary sector
has a great role to play in that.
We need to tear up the rule book,
we really need to start again – we
need to look at how we deliver
services in this city and have a
very open mind as to how we
do it (as to whether that is from
the centre or whether it is from
the neighbourhoods) and who is
delivering and how we fund it...
But let’s not think that in a time of
cuts we have to cut evenly across
the board; let’s look at how we get
best value out of the investment

January / February / March 2013 Issue 19

Voice and Influence

George Ferguson talks to members of the voluntary and community sector and participates in round-table discussions at Voscur’s AGM in September 2012.

that the city puts in and hopefully
that the money is recirculated in
the city rather than being taken
out of it by commissioners who
have no real interest in the city.”
You can watch the videos of
the new Mayor speaking about
the voluntary sector on
Voscur’s YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/voscur

How influential do you
think the voluntary
sector is?
In 2011 we carried out our first
survey of VCS organisations to
find out how much influence

the sector has with key decision
makers in Bristol. Over 40% of
respondents felt that through
the work of VCS representative
structures, their views were
heard and responded to. We’ve
now launched our 2013 survey
to find out how influential you
feel and how effective our
Voice and Influence service is in
helping the VCS to have a voice
and engage in consultations and
strategic decision making. The
survey can be completed online at
goo.gl/l1zpg or if you would like
to receive a paper copy, please call
us on: 0117 909 9949. The survey
closes on 1 February 2013.

The Bristol Mayor Question Time event at
Bristol University.

*** STOP PRESS *** Have your say on the draft
2013/14 Council budget
The public consultation on the

Children & Young People’s Briefing – the Outcomes
Framework for Young People

Training Room 5, Barton Hill
Settlement

7th

6:30pm-9:30pm

Being a Good Trustee

Barton Hill Settlement

7th

10am-1pm

VCS Assembly meeting

Barton Hill Settlement

13th

9:30am-3:30pm

Developing a Fundraising Strategy

@Symes Community Building

14th

6:30pm-9:30pm

Being an Even Better Trustee

Barton Hill Settlement

18th

9:30am-3:30pm

Commissioning and Outcomes

St Werburghs Community Centre

20th

2pm-5pm

Neighbourhoods and Communities Network meeting

The Greenway Centre

25th

9:30am-4:30pm

Food Hygiene

St Werburghs Community Centre

26th

9:30am-3:30pm

Writing your Safeguarding Policy

Barton Hill Settlement

For details of all the above training and events visit: www.voscur.org/calendar/month
Voscur is a registered charity and a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee. Company no. 3918210. Charity no. 1148403.
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